less wind todayl. . off the doorew today. temperatures across the state -- bwi, 34. high temperatures in the upper 40's to the low 40's. we will have less wind. we will break it down when we come back. >> traffic is in good shape. there is one problem in annapolis. there is a water main break and some closures in effect. problem free on the west side. so far so good prior to the beltway.

pretty clear at harford road. 61 near mount carmel andcontinue down to the beltway. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> there is some new hope for a deal to avoid going of the fiscal cliff. president obama will meet with congressional members later today. >> president obama and congressional leaders need to make progress. today's meeting at the white house could be a final opportunity. >> may be the president might make a new offer in getting toward the 11th hour of the negotiations. >> without a deal, taxes will go up on every worker and next week. et in.pending cuts sai

>> the government is supposed to be working for the people and i do not see that. >> senators came back from their christmas break early. nt overblicans have bee backwards. we wanted an agreement. but we had no takers. >> we are in the same situation we it been in for a long time. we cannot negotiate with ourselves. >> house members will come back to work on sunday and will work through the new year if needed. republic and say they are willing to compromise on taxes but not more government spending. the goal is to get a deal before

midnight monday. a growing number of lawmakers doubt that will happen. danielle leigh, wbal-tv 11 news. >> today marks two weeks since the shooting tragedy in newtown, connecticut. there has been an increase in gun sales. in 7200 gun purchase applications filed in november. at least 62,000 more will be handled. troopers will not speculate as to why they have increased. >> as stall in negotiations could paralyzed shipping in the region. workers could go on strike in just a few days. kim dacey is live with details on a possible strike.

>> it could be the biggest strike in 35 years. it affects about 2000 workers here in baltimore. about $51 billion a year goes through baltimore. 108,000 jobs are linked to activity at the port. negotiations are not going well. unless there is an agreement, there will be a complete shutdown of all ports from maine to texas. it could be a partial strike that affects cargo in containers. it could avoid a stoppage in automobile shipments. >> if containers were made to be the focal point, we think that would be an advantage for us.

we do have other cargoes. >> the port of baltimore will keep two public terminals open tomorrow to allow as many trucks as possible to pick up that cargo. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 news. >> today is purple friday. >> it is the last purple friday of the regular season. the ravens will play the bengals on sunday. the kickoff time will be sunday at 1:00 p.m. in cincinnati. keith mills will have much more on the game later this morning in sports. ravens playoff tickets go on sale later this morning starting at 10:00 a.m. the exact day and time of the

game is still not decided. the ravens will host the colts or the bengals. it will be decided after sunday. you can order these tickets by phone or online. tickets will not be sold at m&t bank stadium. >> fans are printing shirts in honor of the ravens second straight afc north title. fan favorites include ray rice, dennis pitta. >> they endear themselves to the fan base. >> shirts will be available at local stores that sell ravens merchandise.

5:06. 36 degrees on tv hill. workers in new york city are getting ready for the biggest night of the year. >> a special tribute on this year's ball. >> this is the west ñ?

>> welcome back to 11 news today. 5:09. 39 degrees downtown. look at the moon shining through the clouds.

we are looking at a later wind -- lighter wind across the area. around 7 miles per hour at the airport. a round the low 40's central maryland. 45 in ocean city. most areas should see some sunshine today. more cloud cover north and west of the city. a storm system is approaching. details are coming up. >> norman schwarzkopf has passed away. he commanded the international coalition that drove saddam hussein's forces out.

he was known as stormin' norman for an explosive temper. he died in tampa from complications from pneumonia. george h.w. bush mourned the loss of a true american patriot and one of the great military leaders of his generation. george h.w. bush remains hospitalized in houston. he is getting excellent treatment and ask people to put the harps back into the cause. set.e ball liis 288 new triangles or added to eveiconic new yourear's

ball. dick clark posted the celebration for more than 40 years. not the same without him. >> 5:12. 39 degrees downtown. wherever you go, you likely see a smartphone or a tabet. >> amazon continues to beat apple when it comes to customer satisfaction. that is coming up in the bloomberg business report. >> the traffic situation is looking good on the west side.

>> now insta-weather plus and traffic pulse 11 together. >> good morning. sarah caldwell checking on your morning commute. let's update you on what is going on. we have closures in annapolis along hilltop lane. 50 looks good to and from the bay bridge. no delays on the beltway. 70 in the green at this hour. this is the west side of the beltway. very light volume down towards edmondson. light volume from the maryland line down to the beltway on the harrisburg expressway.

50 south on the j.f.x. 55 on southbound 95 down to the fort mchenry. a nice start on 295. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. now let's get the latest on the buses and the trains. for that we go to dave allen of the mta. >> the member 10 is diverting for a water main break. number 19 is diverting for a water main break. the 51 bus is diverting for a water main break repaired. everything looking good for marc trains. light rail and metro subway are running on time. line onc a sunday schedule for the new

year's holiday. >> we have 34 degrees at the airport. 31 in parkton. these temperatures are milder than what we forecasted. the clouds moved in. that is good news. 35 in ocean city. 20's in the far western part of the state. only in the 30's in the mountains. partly sunny skies from baltimore into southern maryland. high of 41 into the afternoon. we will have much less wins today compared to yesterday. we are watching the next storm system approach. the radar is completely clear

from baltimore all the way down the coast. you noticed the northern edge has the pink shadings. change overg to share to ice. it is more of a snow event for the mid atlantic. the storm system comes in from the south. then it starts to intensify. this could be a heavy snowstorm for parts of new england. we are not seeing the worst of this storm. if we get snow, it will not be a major event. the clouds will build in. maybe we see some snow showers after midnight. it could possibly change to a mix into the afternoon.

kind of like what we saw the day after christmas. this time the snow line will be further south. we could see 1-3 inches across the metro area and maybe some ice down to the south. that snow will be starting off on saturday and then some rain into the afternoon. a chance for an icy mix on new year's day but do not cancel your plans just yet. >> we are getting closer to a new year. in thee waning popularity as more people move on to smartphones and tablets. consumers are opting for the mobility of tablets and

smartphones. that brings us to our water cooler question of the day. are tablets and smartphones about to make pc's go the way of the 8-track and the walkman? you can share your response on wbaltv.com, on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. if you did dump your pc, it could come handy in your travels. some important apps to make your travel you see easier. >> a smartphone cannot dial-up mother nature but can make travel interruptions more tolerable. travel nerd help to navigate

airports. it maps out amenities close to your gate. avel nerd help out ifov weather keeps you grounded. deeply discounted same day or night bookings in about a dozen major cities. don't get stuck circling the delayed travelerdaa is circling in the skies. >> that is a useful app. a close eye on the strike.

ellen braitman has more with the bloomberg business report. >> home-improvement retailers are gearing up for spring. customers are stocking up on gardening projects. a possible strike at ports has 15,000 workers potentially ready to walk off the jobs. a lot at stake for apparel workers. apple may be a favorite among consumers but not when it comes to customer satisfaction with the website. it is dropping from last year. the company introduced more products during the holiday season including the ipad mini and the iphone 5.

amazon had a record high. another down day for stocks as we close in on the fiscal cliff deadline. taxes will go out by an average of $4,400 for u.s. households if we go over the fiscal cliff. >> 5:23. maryland has a state bird and the state fish. >> what about a state sen w

>> the star of bethlehem has been shining bright.

the new owners have put the property up for sale. this will be the last year the ght the baltimoree baltimor sky. >> some lawmakers want the soft selhell crab to be the maryland state sandwich. lawmakers passed such legislation making it the official state dinner. >> are you a fan? >> i am not. >> a lot of people love it. 5:26. >> will it be progress or

paralysis? all the details are just ahead. >> baltimore port workers could soon be going on strike. >> we are watching the next storm system that could bring more snow to maryland. >> this is 895 at the harbor tunnel. it is looking good at the moment

>> you're watching wbal-tv 11. live, local, late-breaking. this is 11 news today at 5:00 a.m. >> good morning. welcome back to 11 news today. i am jennifer franciotti. >> i am sarah caldwell. thanks for joining us for 11

news today. happy purple friday. >> ravens playoff tickets go on sale today. >> it is going to be a quiet day today. we had high wind yesterday. 34 degrees at the airport. not bad for december. 37 in college park. 35 in ocean city. high speed in the low 40's. it should feel better when we take out the wind. a chance for snow late tonight. >> it looks pretty light in terms of volume. a water main break in annapolis on held top lane and tyler

avenue -- hilltop lane. 895 at the harbor tunnel checks out fine. 65 on the harrisburg expressway. 95 moving smoothly at the fort mchenry toll plaza. this is 95 coming down from the white marsh area, problem free down towards the split. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. >> the clock is ticking on the fiscal cliff. now the deadline is four days away. tracy mitchell joins us live with the very latest. good morning. is there any progress? >> i was hoping there would be a breakthrough. the president will be meeting

with congressional lawmakers hoping to work out a deal. just days before the deadline, the president is calling congressional plead this to the white house. >> i do not know how it can happen now. >> each side is challenging the other side to act first. >> just because we find ourselves at the edge of the cliff. >> lawmakers in the house are heading back for a rare sunday evening session to focus on the cliff. >> i would hope we come back and reach compromise which has been so difficult to do. >> without a deal, the government will spend less.

that could throw less into another recession. fears of going over the fiscal cliff have cost consumer confidence to tumble. >> i think if we get to january 2 and see the markets start to go down and constituents getting anxious and you'll see congress come to a deal and a lot quicker. >> house lawmakers could stay in session on january 2. >> one would lawmakers wait until after the deadline to reach a deal? >> there is a huge distinction. they reach a deal before the deadline they will have to raise taxes for some taxpayers. if they reach a deal after the deadline, they will be cutting taxes. >> tracy mitchell, great to see you.

the clock also ticking down on time to make a deal to avoid a huge strike with longshoremen across the country. baltimore is no exception. kim dacey is live in south baltimore with details on what the strike could mean. >> good morning. it could be the biggest port strike in 35 years. it affects about 2000 workers here in baltimore. unless a deal is reached by sunday. $51 billion worth of cargo a year goes through the port of baltimore. 108,000 jobs are linked to activity at the port. that is in jeopardy if a deal cannot be reached by midnight sunday. >> if it is a total work stoppage, a minimum of $1

million a day. >> that would be the fiscal impact for maryland. negotiations are not going well and that because a shutdown of all ports from maine to texas. baltimore is the number-one port for handling light trucks and some chemicals. it ranks high for imported aluminum. many of the parts that keep commerce chugging along. there is talk the strike could be a partial one. that could avoid a stoppage in cruise ship operations. >> if containers were made to be the focal point, we think that would be an advantage for us. we do have other cargo. >> the port of baltimore plans to keep two public terminals

open tomorrow to allow as many trucks as possible to make those pickups in case there is a strike. kim dacey, wbal-tv 11 ne. >> three people are arrested in connection with the baltimore man. asia la'trice cutler, shanda cure, and donte harris face charges in the death of a man. she said she found harris bleeding in an alley. they helped cutler move the body from the bedroom to an alley. 34 degrees at the airport. all these holidays and all of that food. we will give you some save tips on how to keep those leftovers

as long as possible. >don't forget to e-mail us your response to our water cooler question of the day. are tablets and smartphones about to make pc's go the way of the 8-track and the walkman? you can share your response at wbaltv.com and on our facebook page, or send us an e-mail to watercooler@wbaltv.com. >> we will update you on any public spo

>> welcome back to 11 news today. 5:39. 39 degrees downtown. a few clouds in the sky. the sun will be coming up after 7:00 a.m. high pressure will be in control.

39 degrees downtown. 33 in randallstown. temperatures in southern pennsylvania in the mid 30's. central maryland, 41. ocean city, 45. you'll see more sunshine as you head toward the coast. maybe some snow tomorrow. up.ails are coming o >> it is hard to avoid all of the food during the holiday season. how to prevent any problems. >> eating the big family meal and in joint delicious leftovers. you can keep your food safe. >> did not leave it sitting out more than two hours.

and make sure you chill it. >> put your food in airtight containers. keep that air out. >> the temperature of your refrigerator should be set below 40 degrees. when it is time to reheat the leftovers, bring the temperature back up to what was the first time. we should eat the leftovers within three to four days. >> if in doubt, throw it out. >> 5:41. if you are looking to do something to a gift, a charity

regifteing. will it be a chilly weekend? traffic and weather when we come ba

>> now insta-weather plus and traffic pulse 11 together. >> time to take a look at your morning commute. we had a problem in annapolis and that is gone. speeds 65 heading down on the harrisburg expressway. 55 on the north side. no problems on the west side. south on 95, 54 miles per hour in the owings mills area. 95, 57 miles per hour in the area of white marsh. the speech continued down to 895

split -- those speeds continue down to the 895 split. hopefully traffic will remain light. that is the latest on traffic pulse 11. now let's get the latest on the buses and the trains. for that we go to dave allen. >> the number of 56 bus is delayed. light rail has a 10-minute delay. no problems on the penn, camden, and brunswick lines. specialear's day, a holiday service. light rail will operate on a regular schedule on new year's eve with special schedule one hour after the fireworks display. >> we had a strong winds yesterday. right now we're seeing sustained winds at 14 miles per hour at

dover air force base. stronger winds east of us. 9 in edgewood. it could be a little chilly with cold air from the north. the temperature right now, 34 at the airport. 34 in la plata. 35 in ocean city. 21 in oakland. 33 in hagerstown. 32 degrees in the mountains with mostly cloudy skies. we will see sunshine in southern pennsylvania. temperatures in the low 40's. 45 in ocean city. 38 to 43 around baltimore with less wind. high pressure is building in.

no precipitation today. we can see clouds advancing from the nex storet system . showing some indications of ice trying to build into kentucky. let's put this into motion. high pressure through the area today. then the storm moves in from the south. the storm will intensify as it moves off the coast. it could bring heavy snow to parts of new england. we will get the northern fringe of the storm. the snow could begin late tonight after midnight. most will move then after the morning hours tomorrow. n-mix withet daa rai-snow

accumulations of 1-3 inches. be careful on saturday. we will have icy roads. 43 on monday. we drop down to 29 degrees by new year's morning. there is 10 icy mix -- there is an icy mix possible. >> you may be helping others and yourself at the same time. >> what if he knew you wanted to give back this season but could not financially? did you get some gift cards you are sure you are not going to use? >> gift it to the charity of your choice. >> you can donate your gift card

balances to charity. >> we want to make sure that that is an avenue. >> if you have a receipt, do not throw them away. >> it is all tax-deductible. >> you might be thinking what would they use the gift card for? they can resell the gift card on line and get cash that they can use. >> you can see where your f unds are really going. >> somebody might get a book they already have or the christmas letter that looks great but isn't the right style. somebody in our shelter could use it to stay warm.

>> with a growing need across the country, this is another way you can give a little more. >> 5:50. 34 degrees at the airport. the ravens are in the playoffs but there is some uncertainty as to who they will play in the postseason. keith mills will have more coming up in sports. here is a look at last night's winning maryland lottery numbers.

>> time to get to your answers to our water cooler question of the day. this morning we asked, are tablets and smartphones about to make pc's go the way of the 8- track and the walkman? thank you for writing.

we will read more in our next hour. >> good morning. the ravens close out their regular-season on sunday in cincinnati. ed reed once again has been fined for a hit against victor cruz. he turns of field and ed lowers his shoulder. it was illegal because it was in the neck and head area. this is the fourth time ed has been fined. the ravens may want to sit him. we will see what happens. the bengals have a playoff berth locked up.

andy dalton is their quarterback. 44-13 blowing win for the ravens in the first matchup. he was a coach for the patriots when he was playing with new england. >> this is a back that knows the worth of a four-yard gain. is not a guy that maybe has a chance to get tackle for a loss or gain two more extra yards. that is what he is going to do. >> game time on sunday 1:05. the rivets could play cincinnati again in the playoffs -- the ravens could play cincinnati again in the playoffs. the military bowl with cal

ripken on hand. i would think you would want a team with a military connection orce.my, navy, air fare cal ripken was on hand. wins.sjoseate >> who knows there were so many names? would you be willing to take a pay cut at work? we will have a live report from the new york stock exchange. you can get rich 24 hours a day at maryland's largest casino. legislation could have major repercussions in the united states.

helping to fight back. >> things are quiet today but could get interesting on saturday with our next chance for snow. >> we are tracking 1 accident in annapolis.

>> four days to avoid the fiscal cliff. the last minute meeting at the white house. >> the port here in baltimore could get shut down this weekend if the workers decided to strike. i'm kim dacey live with details. >> first, a white christmas, and now a white new york? keeping an eye on chances of snow tomorrow in new year's day. as 11